Attachment for storing flints

ABSTRACT

THE PRESENT INVENTION RELATES TO A CIGARETTE LIGHTER WITH A NEW TYPE OF ATTACHMENT FOR STORING AND DISPENSING SPARE   LIGHTER FLINTS, AND WHICH CAN BE LOCATED IN THE FINGERPIECE OF THE LIGHTER.

July 4, 1972 P. TROISOEUFS ATTACHMENT FOR STORING FLINTS Filed Dec. 5, 1969 BYW,

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,674,412 ATTACHMENT FOR STORING FLINTS Pierre Troisoeufs, Bellegarde-sur-Valserine, France, assiguor to Ronson Corporation, Woodbridge, NJ. Filed Dec. 3, 1969, Ser. No. 881,813

Claims priority, appplication France, July 22, 1969,

6924874 Int. Cl. F2311 2/38 US. Cl. 431-124 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to a cigarette lighter with a new type of attachment for storing and dispensing spare lighter flints, and which can be located in the fingerpiece of the lighter.

BACKGROUND Several forms of storing and dispensing spare lighter flints are known in the prior art.

One approach taken has been to combine the spare flint carrier with the flint magazine which holds a flint in the immediate vicinity of the abrasive wheel, which produces a spark by abrasive contact with the flint. In carriers of this type, a spare flint carrier is provided to accept a plurality of spare flints. This carrier is so positioned that upon release or removal of the spring which forces the flint into contact with the abrasive wheel, and actuation of the flint carrier, a spare flint drops into the flint magazine, and when the spring is replaced the new flint is forced into contact with the abrasive wheel.

In another form of construction, the stopper which serves to seal the fuel reservoir, is constructed with a hollow portion in which spare flints are stored. Under this arrangement the spare flints must be removed by hand and placed in the flint magazine as needed. To obtain the spare flints from some stoppers necessitates removal of the stopper and extraction of the flint by agitation or other mechanical means.

Still another construction positions the hollow stopper which carries the flints such that a flint from the stopper can be discharged into a tube leading to the flint magazine. To actuate this mechanism the compression spring must be removed to allow entrance of the flint, and then be replaced to force the flint into the flint magazine,

Known further are flint storage magazines mounted in the entire length of the lighter from its base to the vicinity of the abrasive wheel. The spare flints are stored in the entire length of said magazine and are introduced in the housing by means of a loading wheel with the aid of a plunger mechanism.

Lastly, flint storage magazines are known which are formed by a rotary cylindrical drum with a grooved external surface accessible from the outside, with bores each containing a flint. The drum is connected to the abrasive wheel by a tube which constitutes the flint-carrying housing, into which a flint is pushed as needed, up to the abrasive wheel, by alignment of the corresponding bore with the axis of the tube as a result of manipulation of the grooved surface of the storage drum. The compression spring is removed to allow entrance of the flint into the chamber, and when it is replaced it forces the flint against the abrasive wheel.

Although the above and other known variations eliminate the possibility of lighter failure due to the lack of a spare flint, they are either very complicated of operation or designed with a multiplicity of parts producing a high probability of failure. Some designs have the drawback of being accidentally actuated whereby the flints are preliminarily discharged and lost, and hence not available for later use.

See

The object of the present invention is the provision of a spare lighter flint which is conveniently made accessible by actuation of an attachment which is distinguished by its ease of operation and simplicity of design. Its characteristics of design are such that there is a very small probability of jamming or premature actuation. An additional benefit of the design is its ability to be located in a convenient place on the lighter, and to blend harmoniously with the overall design of the lighter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a new type of attachment for the storage and dispensing of spare lighter flints. It is characterized in that it is formed by a horizontally disposed cylinder with compartments therein for containment of the spare flints. The cylinder is lodged in the housing of the lighter, and is kept in its storage and dispensing modes by a controlling means. When the user applies a force transverse to the surface of the cylinder, it is rotated to a position such that the spare flint compartment is no longer blocked by the housing, and the spare flint can be removed. Application of a similar pressure to the cylinder turns it to a stable position, whereby the compartments are enclosed in the housing, and the knurled surface becomes an integral part of the external surface of the lighter.

In both the storage and dispensing modes the cylinder is held stably in position by controlling means which is diflicult to actuate accidentally, and when the proper force is applied will allow the attachment to turn readily.

The present invention, therefore, provides an attachment with a simplicity of design and ease of operation to overcome the ditficulties apparent in the prior art.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side view partly in section showing the attachment in the fingerpiece on a lighter shown in phantom lines;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the fingerpiece shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view of a transverse section of the attachment alone;

FIG. 4 is a side view taken along the axis of the cylinder of the entire attachment as it would appear it removed from the casing;

FIG. 5 is a front end view of the attachment in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an alternative configuration of the attachment as shown in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a cigarette lighter represented by the base 8, having a fingerpiece 7 mounted reciprocably thereon.

Formed in the fingerpiece 7 is a cylindrical opening 9, extending from the top surface of the fingerpiece 7 to adjacent the bottom portion of the fingerpiece 7. A housing 6, partially surrounds the cylindrical opening 9 and has a cylindrical socket 10b therein adjacent the cylindrical opening 9. The socket 10b is smaller of diameter than the opening 9 and has indentations (the spacing of which will be discussed at a later point) formed in the walls thereof.

Inserted in the opening 9 is a cylindrical body 1, which is slightly smaller in both radius and length than the opening 9 for a close fitting engagement, which, offers slight resistance to rotation of the cylinder 1 in the opening 9.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cylinder 1 is enclosed in the housing 6 leaving a portion of the surface area exposed. The size of the opening 9 and cylinder 1 can be such that the exposed portion of the cylinder 1 is either flush with, or protrudes slightly above, or extends slightly below the top surface of the fingerpiece.

Located within the cylinder 1 are spare flint compartments 4 (one shown in FIG. 3 and an alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 6 with two compartments). These compartments 4 are large enough to enclose in each, at least one spare flint 5. The compartments 5 must open to the surface of the cylinder with an opening at least slightly wider than the diameter of a flint 5, to enable its removal. The surface of the cylinder 1 can be knurled to enable the application of a transverse force to the surface thereof to produce rotation within the opening 9.

Attached to or integral with one end of the cylinder 1, is an abutment 3, which is inserted into the socket b by means of a pressure fit engagement. The abutment 3 consists of at least one resilient leg which extends into the socket 10b. At the end of the leg 10 and, integral therewith, is a detent 10a, which is substantially equal in size and shape to the indentations 10c. The indentations 10c receive the detent 10a whenever the cylinder 1 is rotated to a flint discharge or flint storage position. When the cylinder 1 is rotated between its several positions, the detent 10a is moved out of engagement with an indentation 10c, and forced into contact with the Walls of the housing 6. This forces the leg '10 to flex inwardly, which flexure is maintained until the cylinder 1 is rotated to a point where the detent 10a is adjacent another indentation 100. At such a position, the outward urging of the leg 10 forces the detent 1012, into contact with the indentation 100, which consequently holds the cylinder 1 stably in this position until the user again rotates the cylinder. The indentations 100 are spaced along the walls of the housing such that they will only be an engagement between an indentation 100 and a detent 10b, when either a flint 5 is being discharged or the compartments 4 are covered for storage. There can be no such engagement where a compartment 4 is only partially exposed.

The attachment need not be located in the fingerpiece 7 of the lighter 8. It can be positioned in the bottom plate or any other section of the lighter in which its placement is convenient. Additionally, the attachment can be used for pyrophoric mechanisms other than cigarette lighters.

In use, to remove a spare flint 5, a force transverse to the axis of the cylinder 1 is applied to the surface thereof, which rotates the cylinder 1 to a position in which the indentation 10c and the detent 10b engage, and in which a compartment 4 is exposed. The user can then remove the exposed flint and can rotate the cylinder to a storage position.

It is obvious that various changes may be made in details within the scope of the invention without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is, therefore understood, that the invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and described.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cigarette lighter an attachment for storing and dispensing spare lighter flints which comprises a cylinder movably lodged in the housing of the lighter, said cylinder having therein at least one compartment open exteriorly of the cylinder for the storage and dispensing of lighter hints, and means fixed thereto for controlling movement of the cylinder extending into a socket in the housing, so that when the attachment is in the dispensing mode the storage compartment is turned to a position enabling a flint to be removed, and when the attachment is in the storage mode the compartment is covered by the lighter housing preventing accidental escape of the flint, the controlling means comprises an abutment fixed to said cylinder and protruding longitudinally from the cylinder and extending into said socket in the housing such that it bears against the walls of said socket to movably maintain the cylinder in its storage and dispensing positions, the abutment further comprising at least one leg extending axially from the cylinder into said socket in the housing and having thereon protrusions which mesh with mating interior surfaces in the wall of said socket to movably maintain and locate the cylinder in its storage and dispensing positions.

2. An attachment for storing and dispensing spare flints which comprises a cylinder movably lodged in a housing of a pyrophoric mechanism, having therein at least one longitudinally open compartment horizontally disposed with respect to said pyrophoric mechanism and open exteriorly of the cylinder for the storage and dispensing of flints, and means fixed thereto for controlling the movement of the cylinder extending into a socket in the housing so that when the attachment is in the dispensing mode, the storage compartment is turned to a position exposing the longitudinal compartment thereby enabling the flint to be removed, and when the attachment is in the storage mode, the compartment is covered by the housing preventing escape of the flint, the controlling means comprises an abutment fixed to said cylinder and protruding longitudinally from the cylinder and extending into said socket, and which bears against the walls of said socket to movably maintain the cylinder in its storage and dispensing positions, the abutment further comprising at least one leg extending axially from the cylinder, into said socket and having thereon protrusions which mesh with mating interior surfaces in the wall of said socket to movably maintain and locate the cylinder in its storage and dispensing positions.

3. In a cigarette lighter, a finger-piece on the housing of said cigarette lighter, an attachment for storing and dispensing spare lighter flints which comprises a cylinder movably lodged in the housing of the lighter, said cylinder having therein at least one compartment open exteriorly of the cylinder for the storage and dispensing of lighter flints, and means fixed thereto for controlling movement of the cylinder extending into a socket in the housing, so that when the attachment is in the dispensing mode the storage compartment is turned to a position enabling a flint to be removed, and when the attachment is in the storage mode the compartment is covered by the lighter housing preventing accidental escape of the flint, said attachment is rotatably lodged in the fingerpicce of the lighter.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,006,557 10/l91l Husson 431124 1,700,021 H1929 Bruckmann 431-138 2,454,501 11/1948 Camm 431-424 2,526,151 10/1950 OKeefe 431-124 2,729,959 1/1956 Ladner 431124 EDWARD J. MICHAEL, Primary Examiner 

